Nigeria’s Gift To The World: The Tie & Dye (Adire) Fabrics
It is common knowledge that western cultures have interfered greatly with indigenous African cultural heritage – African languages, religions, music, dressing modes, moral behaviours and more. One of the very few aspects of African cultures that have survived the onslaught of Western Civilization, however, is the “Adire” fabric making art in Abeokuta.
Adire is a word derived from the Yoruba expression, “a di, a tun re”, which means, “tied and dyed“. Adire making, as the name simply explains, involves skillfully tying some parts of a chosen plain fabric before the entire fabric is dyed.
The process begins with soaking the selected fabric in water. Thereafter, designing follows as the plain fabric is creatively tied to produce desired designs – cultural symbols, names and objects of interest. The tied fabric is dyed in colours mixed with strong substances like Caustic soda, Hydrosulphite, salt or vinegar, fibre-reactive dye, starch, hot wax or paraffin wax (for Kampala) and candle wax (for Batik). Starching of the materials follow and are finally folded and clamped after which they are ready for market.
Adire production use to be the business of women – the “Alaro, Onidi and Aladire” who are skilful in tying, dyeing and hand-painting. The women engage men for the more difficult “Oloolu” – beaters of Adire – services. These men also help to straighten and fold the Adire.
The oldest and, perhaps, most costly type of Adire is the Adire Eleko or “Alaro Dudu” which is made of “Aro Dudu, starch and fine fabrics, usually Guinea brocade. Some other popular types of Adire include Adire Oniko; Adire Onibatani; Adire Alabere (usually hand-sewn before dyeing); Adire Eleso; Adire Alaale; Adire Alabela-batik; Adire Alahon; Alakatan; Alakewaja; Katikati; Alakete; Onigbin; Serunkun; Alakengbategun, Oni-star and Adire Crack each of which is made from different fabrics like Guinea brocade, Jakad, voile, Ankara, Poplin, Atiku and lace.
Interestingly, advancement in production technics and designs has made Adire gain recognition, beyond its Yoruba origin, in the global textile, fashion and design industry. This development has enkindled the interest and participation of many producers who have tampered with the uniqueness, the durability of the original products and the ingenuity of the time-tested makers.
Rosemary Akwashiki, the owner of the Rosemary Akwashiki brand in Abuja that uses Adire fabrics to create different and unique fashion designs, testifies to the trendy and classy of the ageless Adire fabrics.
“Adire is for those women of class that do not like to look flashy and flamboyant all the time. We use Adire to create versatile. trendy, classy and internationally suitable unique styles”, she said.
She explains that Adire designs are timeless hence they will always have a modern look and feel that is accepted locally and internationally. “Adire outfits appear very subtle and have a welcoming feel which exhibits inner strength and boldness in women wearing them”, Rosemary concluded.
It is noteworthy that Adire fabric production began among the Egba people in South-Western Nigeria in the days of their servitude. The women who later dominate the trade, however, could not do more than forming the “Ifesowapo” Association led by Madam Eleyele Silver to protect the “Tie and Dye” business from threatening distortions and disregard for its ownership caused by the openness of the business.
Consequently, it is pertinent that a proper legal back-up that enables “Aladire” to own the sole right to a design as the creator be established so he could fully enjoy the dividends of his endowment. As the Patent and Designs Act of 1971 states, “Any combination of lines or colours or both, and any three-dimensional form, whether or not associated with colours, is an industrial design if it is intended by the creator to be used as a model or pattern to be multiplied by industrial processes and is not intended solely to obtain a technical result”.
The popular textile industries enjoy such legal back-ups, so should an “Aladire” have intellectual property laws protection for his creativity as the industry gets more competitive. The artistic works, designs and symbols, names and images created by the Aladire in the Adire should be classified and protected as his own brand under the Nigerian Intellectual Property Law; Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents, and Industrial designs. Such legal protections would encourage creativity in the industry and help to eliminate substandard products in the Tie and Dye industry.
To achieve this, the government could make the registration process for patent less costly and less daunting.
On his own, the Adire producer could protect his brand by guarding his Trade Secret(s) like his/her drawing and colours combination technics as an alternative to established legal frameworks.
Adire making business in Nigeria has faced challenges since the Europeans first noticed the large market for the fabric within the nation and from neighbouring countries as they flooded the market with European print designs which diminished the growth of the native market.
The fact that Adire makers have had to import requisite production materials ranging from cotton to needed chemicals and colours has also made the occupation tedium.
As the Tie and Dye fabric production now comes alive owing to growing demand in the global fashion and design industry, it is expedient that the Nigerian Government supports it by 1) Ensuring the local production of most, if not all, the needed raw materials 2) Providing necessary financial support 3) Establishing legal frameworks that protect the Aladires creative brands 4) Encourage participation of educated and creative youths to leverage on the creativity of the gifted but old and illiterate female players in the industry.
All the above would help preserve “Itoku district” which remains the major Adire market in Abeokuta, now known as Adire Mall”, and foreground the Adire Fabric manufacturing industry in Nigeria with its consequent national income, foreign exchange and job creation benefits to the nation.
It is heart-warming that the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is promoting SME’s as well as Small and Medium Enterprises access to credit. Adire producers should be encouraged to utilise the opportunities for the funds.
Adire Fabric is a durable, classy Nigerian brand that should be promoted, protected and sustained as a cultural heritage especially as our youths are fast losing their cultural identities
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